1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a kneader for kneading a kneading material so as to obtain a pasty kneaded mixture, and a manufacturing method for manufacturing an electrode body including an electrode active material by manufacturing an electrode active material paste by use of the kneader. More specifically, the present invention relates to a kneader that reduces unevenness in viscosity of an obtained kneaded mixture, and a manufacturing method for manufacturing an electrode body including an electrode active material by using an electrode active material paste obtained by use of the kneader and having less unevenness in viscosity.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, an electrode active material paste obtained in a paste form by dispersing an electrode active material in a dispersion medium is used for manufacture of an electrode body. That is, the electrode body is obtained such that an electrode active material layer is formed on a collector by applying the electrode active material paste on the collector. Here, a kneader is, of course, used for manufacture of the electrode active material paste. An example of the kneader is described in FIG. 1 of Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-180709 (JP 9-180709 A). The kneader in the figure is configured to stir and knead a “mixture 4” (that is, a raw material) put into a “hopper 5” while conveying the mixture with an “extruder screw 2.” By use of a mixture including an electrode active material as the raw material, an electrode active material paste is obtained from a “through-hole 7” provided in a left end part in the figure.